Page 5 - TPA Journal July August 2021

2021 TPA Annual Training Conference

Annual Business Meeting, June 30, 2021

Incoming President’s Speech – Greg Minton

First of all, I am honored and privileged to serve as the next Texas Police Association President.

But I would be remiss in my duties if I did not acknowledge former TPA President Dwight Mathis
for his current service to this Association, but for “carrying the torch” of his presidency for the past
two years. The last time a TPA President held office for 2 years was in 1945 (75 years ago) under the
leadership of President Ed Gormley.

So…. who am I and why am I talking? Well, good question.

My name is Greg Minton, Chief of Police for Leander Police Department. I have served for 26 years
and have been a Member of TPA since 1999 (22 years).

I would like to share with you a story, a story about my first experience with TPA. I was a 29-year-
old officer and I was “voluntold” “instructed” by my Chief Don Hatcher, that I would be attending
training with him and Captain Jerald Jolley in Waco. I’m thinking… “What the hell is in Waco”?
Well, what I discovered was some great training and I was introduced to some amazing people like:
Jack Ryle, James Ratliff, Glenn McLaughlin (all TPA Executive Directors past and present), Ret. DPS
Col. Dudley Thomas, DPS Lt. Col. Lamar Beckworth, Ms. Mona, and may more honorable
individuals.

And just like you are doing now, I was sitting at a table listening to the incoming President, Joe
Reinhart, talk about the things he would do to make TPA a stronger Association. By the end of the
Conference, I “bought into” TPA’s vision to become the leading authority in the professional
development of Officers and Agencies to serve their communities with distinction.

Since then, I have attended every Conference, a matter of fact, some of the best vacations I have ever
has with my family were at TPA Conferences.

Years later, I realized the “why” in Chief Hatchers’ & Captain Jolley’s reasoning to invite me to the
Annual Conference. They were instilling in me the importance of relationships. And over the past
22 years, I have made some great friendships, through TPA, all over the State of Texas.

So, with every new President comes a new TPA theme for the year. While pondering what my theme
should be, Mona sent me a list of all the Conference themes since 1959. Out of the 60 only one

“service” “service” “service” “service”
“service”

July - August 2021 www.texaspoliceassociation.com • (512) 458-3140 1